novelhk Chapter 193 Her goal, one-third achieved
Chapter 193 Her goal, one-third achieved
Although both were fifth-rank prefects, they were not as good as fifth-rank officials in the capital. When Prefect Lü learned that Su Ming'er's uncle was a fifth-rank official in the capital, he had the idea of helping her. If he could help Su Ming'er's reputation, would he be able to find Su Ming'er's uncle and say a word when he returned to the capital to report on his duties?
Prefect Lü looked at Brother Xia who had stepped forward, somewhat puzzled as to why Brother Xia was acting so impulsively.
Prefect Lü looked in the direction of the women, wondering if it was Xia Shengyou's women who wrote those two beautiful lines.
How could that be? Xia Shengyou was just a scholar who passed the imperial examination in the countryside. In the countryside, it takes the whole family's strength to support a boy's education. How could they possibly raise a daughter?
Madam Lü looked at Prefect Lü, unsure of how to resolve the current situation.
"Yes, Miss Su, why don't you write another one?"
Of the thousand scholars present, not all were thinking of "helping or currying favor." Some, however, upheld their sense of justice and stood up to shout along with Brother Xia.
Of the thousand scholars, only three hundred actually stepped forward. Five hundred chose to curry favor with them, while two hundred chose to remain silent and observe, fearing trouble.
But three hundred people standing up is enough.
"Yes, Miss Su, why don't you write a line or two more?"
"..."
As more and more voices echoed her sentiments, Su Ming'er's face turned grim; she was then lifted up.
“Yes, if it was written by Miss Su, why don’t you write it again to shut those people up,” Madam Chen said with a smile.
Chen Kai could tell that the writing was most likely not done by Su Ming'er, but his mother couldn't tell. She really thought that the writing was done by Su Ming'er and even stood up to speak for Su Ming'er. In reality, she was putting Su Ming'er in a very difficult position.
Su Ming'er's face turned pale, then red, then pale again. She looked at everyone present with an ugly expression. Her lips, painted a pink color, were trembling slightly. She didn't know what to do.
Su Ming'er didn't know what to do, so she looked at Su Xiucai among the men, hoping that her brother would step forward to help her.
Su Xiucai's face twisted for a moment, but he immediately regained his gentlemanly demeanor and said, "My younger sister is spoiled by my mother."
Su Ming'er looked at Su Xiucai in astonishment, her eyes seeming to say: Big brother, why won't you help me?!
"I wonder which young lady this book is about? Would you please step forward and let me know?" Su Xiucai asked with an elegant smile.
Su Ming'er felt as if her face had been ripped off and trampled on. She looked at Su Xiucai with embarrassment, stomped her foot, snorted, and turned to run away.
She was so embarrassed that she couldn't stay at the banquet any longer and ran away.
Xia Mo stood up leisurely.
Those sitting in the front row looked around and were surprised to see that it was Xia Mo, who was in the last row, who had stood up.
Prefect Lü and his entourage were also surprised.
"Why don't you write another one?" Madam Chen couldn't believe it. The calligraphy, which she herself found impressive, was actually written by a country girl!
Xia Mo walked gracefully to the table prepared in the center of the venue and nodded proudly: "Okay."
Soon, a maid prepared the Four Treasures of the Study, and laid out paper, brush, and ink.
As summer drew to a close, I picked up my pen and thought for a moment.
What other sentences can be used to encourage learning?
"One who does not study diligently in youth will regret it when he is old."
As Xia Mo wrote, she read it aloud so that everyone present could hear her clearly.
"it is good!"
As soon as Xia Mo put down his pen, someone couldn't wait to shout loudly.
Immediately, an old woman stepped forward, picked up the calligraphy and painting that Xia Mo had finished writing, and after it dried, she simply framed it with a wooden frame, then set it up high for display.
"This stroke...this brushwork..."
"Powerful and domineering, with an air of arrogance!"
"This...this..."
"His-"
"Great sentences, great words! Everything is great!"
Prefect Lü also echoed the praise.
“I haven’t stamped it or written my name on it yet,” Xia Mo said.
Everyone watched with bated breath as the old woman took down the simply framed document, refusing to show it to anyone.
"Such beautiful lines, are they from a poem? May I ask if you have the complete poem?" asked Madam Lü, the prefect's wife.
“Yes,” Xia Mo nodded, “This is a poem encouraging study, written by a man named Yan Zhenqing. The full poem is: ‘The lamp burns at midnight, the rooster crows at dawn,’ which is exactly…”
After finishing reciting the entire poem, Xia Mo said, "The two lines I wrote earlier also have an author. They were written by a man named Han Yu, and they are an inspirational couplet."
"I wonder where those two people you mentioned are now?" Although Prefect Lü was thinking about how to become an official and how to get promoted, he also admired those who were good at studying, so he couldn't help but ask excitedly.
“I found this poem and couplet in the grave that was robbed,” Xia Mo spread his hands and sighed helplessly. “They only took the valuable things, and left the books behind, which were considered worthless.”
Xia Mo's performance was so vivid and lifelike, it was as if she had truly found it in a grave.
Those present sighed upon hearing that the person who had written such astonishing poems and words had passed away.
"Could it be in the graves in your village?" Prefect Lü couldn't imagine which grave Xia Mo could have found it in.
“No, they are solitary graves deep in the mountains. However, there are traces of villages in front of those graves, but unfortunately... only broken tiles remain,” Xia Mo sighed helplessly.
"How could a young lady like you go to the deep mountains?!" Madam Chen demanded sharply, realizing that she hadn't been speaking up for Su Ming'er at all! The things she had said to Su Ming'er had thoroughly offended her!
Madam Chen was feeling extremely anxious, desperately trying to make Su Xiucai understand that she hadn't meant to do it.
"As for why I went to the deep mountains, what does that have to do with you?" Xia Mo retorted sharply.
Unlike those people on the live streaming platform who shamelessly take other people's things for themselves, she is not like them.
Mrs. Chen looked pleadingly at Chen Kai, who was in the direction of the man, hoping her son would help her.
At the end of summer, I wrote down my name and stamped it. After thinking for a moment, I picked up my brush again and wrote the author's name in small characters on the two pieces of calligraphy. I was satisfied.
Prefect Lü gave Xia Erge a deep look and asked, "My sister's handwriting is beautiful."
"My younger sister likes to go deep into the mountains and forests. Seeing more of the mountain scenery has broadened her mind and made her write well," Xia Erge said with an uncontrollable smile, feeling very proud of his younger sister, as if he himself was the one who was outstanding.
"You recognized your little sister's handwriting a long time ago, didn't you?" asked Liu Xiucai, who was sitting at the table next to Xia Erge and the others.
Brother Xia smiled and said, "Actually, I'm a little unsure. My little sister's handwriting has improved again."
"You really..."
The scholars present were puzzled, but more were full of admiration. They never expected that the countryside would produce a scholar and even have his daughter learn to write so well.
Xia Mo smiled slightly. With Su Ming'er's outburst, her name would be known far and wide.
She achieved one-third of her goal.